The New Girl
by Xehn
Summary: A girl, Sakura, finds herself in the feudal era with InuYasha and the gang. But her role in the world is bigger than she expected. Please review so I can decide to go on or not! Note: I do not own any of the InuYasha characters but Sakura is mine.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The sun was setting behind her as she made her way back home from the park, her book bag over one shoulder. She often did her homework in the park. It was the only place she could really get some peace and quite. Yes, her bedroom was quite but it felt too confined, she couldn't really relax.

A few cars passed by but for the most part everyone was already home for the day.

Matsushita Sakura was her name. She lived in a traditional Japanese home in a less modernized side of the city. Her family had lived there for generations. Sakura walked up the steps to her front porch, walked through the main entrance, and left her book bag and shoes next to the door.

"Mama! I'm home!" she shouted. Sakura made her way to the living room, then to the kitchen, and through out the rest of the house. She couldn't find anyone. Shrugging it off, she assumed Mama had just gone to the store.

Passing by the doors that lead to the back of the house, Sakura heard something. It was quite but it sounded as if someone was calling her. She turned her head and stopped. "_Sakura…" _She heard again. "Mama…? Is that you?" Reaching for the door she pulled it to the side. There was no one there, just the same old well that had always been there. "_Sakura…" _She heard it again. This time it sounded like it was coming from the well itself. A perplexed look on her face, Sakura walked slowly toward the well. "_Sakura…" _louder, "_Sakura…"_ again, louder.

Sakura leaned over the side of the well, "_Sakura!"_ At that moment it felt as if someone had pushed her from behind. A gasp escaped from her lips as she went tumbling down. But instead of hitting the bottom of the old well she continued to fall. Everything around her seemed to fade away. The last thing Sakura saw before passing out was a man with long silver hair and… dog ears?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"She looks like she's from your era Kagome." "She doesn't come from around here, that's for sure." "Hey, I think she's waking up."

Sakura rolled over on her side. She moaned a bit and grabbed her side as pain shot from under her arm to her hip. Her head was throbbing too. "What the…" she said trying to sit up. She managed to sit leaning against her arm. Slowly the images around her came into focus. The sky was dark but the light from a small fire lit the others around her.

One was a girl who looked about her age wearing a similar uniform to Sakura's. There was another girl who seemed to be a little older than her but she was dressed in a very different outfit. The other people around her were men. The man closest to her had black hair and was wearing black and purple robes, the other who was sitting farther away wore a red kimono and had long silver hair. But what really set him apart from the others was he had dog ears on his head. Of course Sakura wasn't paying attention to details. All she knew was she fell into her well and then passed out.

The girl dressed in the similar uniform moved closer to her. She smiled and handed Sakura a drink. Sakura grabbed the drink and held it up to her lips. The smell was awful and she moved the drink away. "Its ok…" the girl said, "It'll make you feel better. I'm Kagome. Who are you?" Sakura placed a hand on her forehead and looked down at the ground. "S…Sakura." She managed to say. Things were in focus now and she now noticed that the people around her were very different.

Her eyes jumped from person to person. "What the… who are all of you?" she asked her eyes wide. She had to be dreaming, there was no other explanation for it.

"Well," said Kagome, "This is Sango," she pointed to the other woman, "Miroku," she pointed to the man in the purple and black robes, "Shippo," she motioned to a small boy who had a fox tail, "and InuYasha." She finished looking at the man with the silver hair and dog ears. A small 'meow' came from behind Sango. Out walked a small cat with two tails. "And I can't forget Kirara." Kirara walked up to Sakura and jumped in her lap. She stroked the cat a little reluctantly and Kirara began to purr.

"She seems to like you." Sango smiled. "Enough with the small talk! I want to know how she got here. Last time I checked, Kagome was the only one apart from me who could pass through the well." InuYasha said from across the fire. He didn't seem like the friendliest person to Sakura.

"Well…" Sakura started, trying hard to remember what had happened before she had ended up here. She was still having a hard time figuring out where she was now. "The last thing I remember… was a whisper coming from the well behind my house. Someone… something… pushed me into it. And now I'm here."

"Maybe all the wells in your era are connected to our era." Miroku suggested. _Era?_ _You mean I'm not in the same time _or _place? You've got to be kidding me… _Sakura thought. She stared into the fire still wondering what the hell was going on. Kagome seemed to be from her time… did the same thing happen to her? "Perhaps…" continued Miroku, "It takes someone from our time to summon someone from your time."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Said InuYasha, "It doesn't matter how she got here. We need to figure out how to send her back! There's no way I'm going to cart around another useless human." Kagome gave him a very threatening look and for a split second, InuYasha looked scared. "SIT BOY!" Kagome shouted. And with that, InuYasha hit the ground face first. Sakura cringed, _Ouch, _she thought.

"Sorry about him Sakura. InuYasha can be very tactless." Kagome said, shooting him another glare and he got up looking very annoyed. "I expect you want to know what's going on around here. Well I guess I should start from the beginning." She continued. It took Kagome about a half hour to explain everything that had been going on including how she arrived here and about the Shikon jewel. Not to mention all the enemies they now had and InuYasha's half brother, Sesshoumaru.

"What I want to know is…" Sakura started, "Is who's voice was it I heard in the well? It was a woman's voice…" The others thought for a moment but didn't have an answer. "Who ever it was, they want you here for some reason… even if we don't know why."

"Well either way," Sango said as Kirara jumped into her lap, "I'm sure we're all very tired and Sakura has surely had a long night. Me and Kagome will set you up in our hut." Both Kagome and Sango stood up as did Sakura. Although Sakura was still curious and confused, she was looking forward to a long sleep. Kagome smiled, "Tomorrow we can speak with Kaede and perhaps we can visit my home as well." Sakura looked up, "Your home? You mean… on the other side of the well? Then can't I go home?" Kagome looked sympathetic, "I know how you feel, but you're here for a reason. For all we know you could be the one to help us defeat Naraku."

Suddenly Sakura felt a growing responsibility. She couldn't go home… not now. But what about her parents? School? Friends? They would just have to wait. It was hard to sleep that night.


	3. Chapter 3

** Chapter 3 **

Sakura was stirred later in the morning by Kirara who licked her face until she woke up. _What the…? _She thought but then remembered where (or rather _when_) she was. She stood up, adjusted her clothes, and pulled her dark purple hair back into a loose bun, leaving two strands in front of her face. She began to wonder if it was a smart idea to die her hair… now she was going to stick out. Then again InuYasha did have silver hair.

Pushing the straw door-flap aside, Sakura walked out only to see Kagome walking toward her with an old woman walking beside her with an eye patch and gray hair. Kagome waved and smiled, as they got closer. Sakura could only muster a small grin and a quick nod. She walked up to meet them a few feet away.

"Sakura, this is Kaede, she's a priestess. With her help we might be able to figure out why you're here." Sakura gave Kaede a polite bow. "Lets go back inside the hut and talk." Kagome finished and walked up to the doorway and walked in. Kaede and Sakura joined her.

"Well," Kaede began, "you were brought here for a reason. I've brought a spell that may give us a clue." The old woman opened up a large bag that had been resting over her shoulder. Out of it she pulled a jar of something that resembled sand and another full of a foul smelling potion of some kind. She lit the fire that was set in the middle of the room and settled the cooking pot over it. Into the pot she first poured the liquid. After several minutes of waiting for the contents to boil, Sakura decided to speak. "So… what's this spell supposed to do anyway?" she asked. "It's quite simple." Kaede answered. "When I add the crystals to the potion, the smoke will rise and form a picture of your past ancestor. Oh, I almost forgot…" she reached forward and pulled a hair from Sakura's head. "Ouch…" she cringed under her breath. She wasn't exactly expecting that.

The potion boiled violently and Kaede then added the crystals as well as the hair she had pulled. Two seconds later, a cloud of smoke billowed out of the pot. For a moment it simply hung in mid-air but a few moments later it began to spin and very subtlety it began to form a body. It was easy to tell it was a woman. She was dressed in miko attire but with the addition of some light armor on her shoulder's and waist. The smoke appeared to be solid for just a few seconds before it melted away and fell back into the pot and disappeared.

Sakura was silent, as was Kagome. Kaede seemed to be deep in thought. Kagome looked up and asked, "Who was that? She looked like a priestess…" "And indeed it was." Kaede said with her head down, "It was Midoriko… the creator of the Jewel of Four Souls." Kagome gasped but Sakura, once again, seemed lost. How could she be the descendant of the priestess who created this powerful jewel? Sakura reluctantly looked up at Kaede and Kagome. She had a feeling she wouldn't be going home any time soon.

All three women rose and walked out of the hut in silence. InuYasha, Miroku and Shippou were waiting around a large tree but before they could get close enough to hear them, Sakura turned to Kagome and stopped her. "Hey, Kagome… do you mind if I take a walk… you know. I need some thinking time." Kagome nodded and smiled. "Sure thing, Sakura." Sakura turned around and started on her way down a dirt road through the village. It was quiet but as she passed she could feel the villagers stealing glances at her. Well of course they would. She was dressed in strange clothes and had dark purple hair. People in her own time sometimes gave her strange looks.


	4. Chapter 4

** Chapter 4 **

It was mid afternoon by the time Sakura felt she was ready to return. Some of her hair had fallen out of the bun it was in while she ran down the near by riverbank. She loved to run yet she had never joined the track team, probably because she wasn't very competitive.

When she returned, everyone was there. Sango, Kagome, InuYasha, Miroku, Shippou and Kilala had congregated around the base of the tall tree, obviously waiting for Sakura. The others stood to greet her with smiles, with the exception of InuYasha. "Oh," Sakura said, her hands in her pockets, "If we needed to leave you could have told me. I wouldn't have taken so long…" her voice trailed off but Sango stopped her. "It's fine Sakura. We know you need some time. We were just going to head out to the next village before the sunsets. If you need more time…"

"No." Sakura said crossing her arms. "I'm here for a reason and I have a responsibility to keep." It was the truth and Sakura knew that but she still wished she could go back home.

Just then Kaede walked toward them from her hut carrying something flat and round covered in a dark brown cloth. Sakura turned around to face her just as she reached the group. "Sakura," she started, "I have a gift for you. I had them made for you for your journey. After all you will need a weapon or two." The old woman seemed to smirk. "Oh," was all Sakura could think to say. She removed the cloth revealing two circular blades only one section of each was wooden, apparently for a handle. "Chakrams?" They were quite huge in Sakura's opinion. She had seen some smaller versions in her time and had actually wielded a pair in her Karate classes. She picked them up by the handles and held them up. The others seemed intrigued by the odd weapon. Sango even asked to try them out.

"Well lets get moving." Miroku finally insisted and the others agreed. The chakrams were secured to Sakura's side and they surprisingly didn't make a lot of noise as she walked. A few minutes later the group left the village, making their way north toward the next village.

"There have been rumors of a demon attacking this village. Possibly a jewel fragment involved…" Sango informed Sakura. "Oh," was all she could say. To tell the truth she wasn't sure if she was ready to fight. Sure she had taken classes but none of them taught her how to fight against a demon. As they walked she looked down at the weapons at her side. She could only hope they would help her.

‡

It was well past sunset by the time they had made it to the village. As they walked down the dirt road, they noticed it was awfully quiet. There was nobody in the streets but once they got to the small palace at the top of the hill, a pair of guards armed with spears stopped them in their tracks.

"No one's allowed in the palace. You'll have to leave. It would be advisable too seeing as we have a demon that regularly attacks the village…" one of the guards said. "Well it just so happens…" Miroku replied, "That we're here to rid you of you demon pest."

Just then, without any warning, the ground began to shake. The guards looked to the village with frightened looks on their faces. Sakura spun around just in time to see a huge worm like demon with pinchers and two arms burst out of the ground, destroying the homes around it. Villagers screamed and ran for their lives while the demons large red eyes pinpointed the castle and made a beeline for the group, namely Kagome.

"Its after the shards!" Kagome shouted. InuYasha grabbed her around the waist and bounded to the right and the others ran in the opposite direction. Suddenly Kilala changed form from a small two-tailed cat to a huge saber toothed lion. Her feet and tails flamed and her eyes were fierce and red. Sango jumped on her back with her boomerang in hand. Kilala flew into the air with ease and circled the demon. Kagome looked up and spotted the glow Sakura had also noticed.

"The jewel shard! There in its forehead!" Sure enough, there was a glow emitting from a spot on the monster's head.

Sango had circled all the way up the monster to its neck and she shouted "Hiraikotsu!" throwing the boomerang directly at the demons neck. Its head fell to the ground and before it could regenerate its body and head (as most demons with a piece of the jewel do), InuYasha unsheathed his sword, it turned from a rusted old katana to a huge fang, and he unleashed the windscar on the beast's head. The head along with the body disintegrated leaving only the jewel fragment behind. Kagome picked it up and placed it in a small vile along with the other shards they had collected.

"Well that was too easy." InuYasha said, placing his sword back in the sheath. "Oh thank you!" The guards had walked out, a young lord behind them and behind him a beautiful princess. "My sister and I thank you!" the lord said again. "You must stay the night in our castle. I am lord Renjiro and this is my sister, Nariko. We welcome you." Lord Renjiro turned around and walked toward the castle. The others followed.


	5. Chapter 5

Note to readers

Yes here it is! Chapter 5! Wee! Just wanted to let you know, I give a special thanks to my best friend Sara for helping me write this chapter this weekend! It will probably be the funniest yet for you guys and that's all thanks to her . Just to let you know, we both need medication 0.o lol! Please Enjoy! 

Chapter 5

They were led into a grand dining area with a table that ran nearly the length of the room. It was covered with an assortment of delicacies from all across Japan. A lot of the dishes looked strange to Sakura, but she was so famished that she didn't care at the moment. Servants led them to their seats while the lord and his sister set themselves at the ends of the table. All the while the lord commended them for their generous deed.

"You have quite the lavish lifestyle for such a small town do you not my lady?" Miroku asked curiously.

"Well, my brother is a very worldly man, and is respected and rewarded by other leaders for the many favors he has carried out for them." Princess Nariko replied, giving Miroku a flirtatious smile. At which Sakura noticed Sango's expression go from content to murderous, although Miroku was too busy staring a Nariko to realize it. Sakura smiled to herself, wondering how long it would take for Sango to lose her self-control.

"What are you doing Miroku? Looking for fleas?" Sango mumbled agitatedly to the very distracted monk sitting next to her.

Sakura just watched, quietly and contentedly eating her first meal in the feudal era of Japan. As she finished her delectable stew, Kagome leaned over and smiled comfortingly.

"So Sakura, how are you liking your meal? I'm sure you're very hungry, after all you haven't eaten since you got here."

"Oh, it's great! I haven't had food this good in a long time. Kira is the only friend I have who can really cook, and the last time I was at her house it was my birthday last year. Her boyfriend is always eating there because his mom can't cook, and the last time his dad tried he nearly burned their house down." Suddenly, she burst out laughing. "I remember Zane coming to school that morning pitch black and covered in soot. All we could see was his bright red hair! And the first thing he said when he saw us was; "I'm eating at your house from now on Kira whether you like it or not! My dad nearly killed us all, and my mom's food moves of its own free will!"

At that, Sakura and Kagome doubled over with laughter, unable to contain themselves. But their laughter was abruptly cut off when they realized that no one else was laughing, and in fact, they were all staring at them as if they'd gone mad. Sakura blushed furiously, suddenly becoming very interested in the tabletop.

"Do not be embarrassed Lady…I'm afraid I didn't catch your name." Lord Renjiro looked at her expectantly, waiting for a reply.

"Oh, my name's Sakura, Sakura Matsushita."

"A lovely name for an equally lovely lady." He said, giving her a disarming smile. Sakura froze in the act of getting another serving of a particularly tasty rice dish. Her thoughts had suddenly begun to race. '_Oh no, he's hitting on me! What do I do? He's cute, but not that cute! I don't like him that way, but how do I tell him? In my time I'd just slap him and walk away, but somehow I don't think that would be acceptable in this situation.'_

"Uh…I don't feel so good. I think I'm going to go on to my room and get some sleep. If you'll excuse me…" She said quickly, praying that this would work.

"In that case, allow me to escort you to your room." Renjiro said, his smile widening slightly.

"O-okay. I guess that's alright…" Before she left, Sakura saw InuYasha giving Renjiro a suspicious look and wondered vaguely why.

She followed Renjiro down the hallway, suddenly feeling very tired and a little overwhelmed by the day's happenings. When Renjiro finally stopped, she nearly ran into him after having spaced out a few minutes back. Looking around, Sakura realized she didn't recognize the area they were in, and said as much.

"Well, I typically don't bring guests to my private quarters, but I suppose I can make an exception for someone as beautiful as you." He responded, giving her a look that reminded her of a wolf regarding its prey. He reached forward and held her hands in his.

An alarm began going off in her head. Wait… **private** quarters… an **exception**? OH MY GOD!

"Hold on just one second pal!" she said pulling her hands back, "You think that I, I mean you, I mean…NO! No way! Please tell me you're not thinking what I think you are!" She gasped, taking a few steps back, and wondering why she hadn't paid heed to InuYasha's expression.

"Well, I suppose that would depend on what you believe I am thinking." He said smoothly, taking a step towards her. In an instinctive movement she grabbed onto her chakrams at her side and held up her free hand, continuing to back away.

"Whoa! Back off! I'm not like that, and if you try anything I swear I'll…" She stopped, wondering what she really would do if he… Sakura then realized that he was laughing.

"I'm so sorry!" He said, straightening up again. "I thought you were suggesting something when you left for your room so early. I didn't mean to offend you, and I apologize for making you feel uncomfortable."

"Suggesting something? You were hitting on me! I didn't do anything! I was just tired!" She said defensively.

"I never hit you! What on earth are you going on about?" Then it was Sakura's turn to laugh as she realized she'd used a saying from her own time, one that he obviously wouldn't understand. Before they knew it, they were both laughing as if nothing had happened.

"If you would forgive me, I would be deeply honored. And, if you don't mind I'll walk you to _your_ room this time."

"Okay, thanks. And, of course I forgive you! After all, everyone makes mistakes, although that was probably one of the most disturbing I've ever experienced." Smiling, they walked down the hallway, both happy to have made a new friend.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was fairly early by the time Sakura had awoken. She had finally had a decent night sleep since she'd arrived in the feudal era. She rose from her bed and changed into her school clothes (she'd been lent a white kimono to sleep in) and walked out of the room to see if anyone else was awake.

As she had expected no one was up and about at this hour, no one except for Lord Renjiro. The young man was sitting quietly in the gardens by himself. Sakura remembered the night before and just how embarrassed she was. She was just glad nothing happened that might… well Sakura didn't want to think about that.

She turned around to head for the dining area when she spotted Kirara wandering around the halls.

"Oh, Kirara, I would think you'd be with Sango." Sakura knelt down and picked up the two-tailed feline, continuing on her way.

It wasn't long before Sakura ran into Kagome and Sango, both of which were walking quietly down the disserted halls. Kirara jumped into Sango's arms when they met up. Kagome was the first to speak.

"So, Sakura. What happened last night anyway? We heard you laughing with Lord Renjiro."

Sakura smiled to herself and waved a hand and said, "Oh it was nothing, just a big misunderstanding. It's all sorted out though."

"What kind of misunderstanding?" Sango asked as well.

"Well, it's all actually very funny…" Sakura went on to tell how Renjiro got the wrong message and thought Sakura was "suggesting" something when she excused herself so early.

"Oh my!" Sango laughed. Kagome giggled and gave Sakura a light pat on the back.

"I thought he seemed a little too friendly." And all three girls laughed as they walked down the hall.

Finally InuYasha and Miroku arose from their rooms to find the others gathered outside under a sakura tree.

"Come on. We're leaving soon." InuYasha stated plainly, placing himself under the tree next to them. Miroku tried to settle down next to Sango but she rose herself and walked inside to get her boomerang. When she returned the whole group made their way to the front entrance, led by Lord Renjiro.

"Good bye, and thank you again for your service to me and my sister." The others said their thanks and left through the front gates. Turning to Sakura, he smiled and asked her to stay behind just one moment.

Out from the stables, a guard led a very black horse with a strangely blue mane across the path.

"This is my gift to you, Sakura. He's half demon, they say, named Kurouma. He was given to me as a gift and now I give him to you. He will protect you."

Sakura smiled widely and was about to hug the lord, but caught herself and instead reached for the horse's head, stroking him nose and taking hold of the reins.

"I don't know how to thank you Lord Renjiro. I hope we meet again some day soon." Sakura bowed politely and left through the gates, jogging to catch up with the others. Kagome turned around at the sound of hoof beats and gasped to see Sakura leading the half demon horse down the path.

"Where'd he come from Sakura?" she asked.

"Lord Renjiro… he said he's a half demon horse. His name's Kurouma."

Sango fell back to admire the horse as well. InuYasha showed no interest in the beast and Miroku simply glanced back and then continued walking. Shippou climbed up on Kurouma's back, comfortably lying down on his side. Kurouma didn't seem to mind and Sakura continued walking.

It was quiet for almost the duration of the trip. Sakura wondered if it was always like this.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"I will miss her company." Lord Renjiro said to himself as he walked back into the castle. It seemed all too quiet around his home now that Sakura and her friends had left. "She dressed strangely but she had a good heart…" His voice trailed off as he spotted his sister, Nariko approach him from the gardens outside. He met her under the sakura tree.

"Brother, where is that demon horse?" She asked, an almost threatening tone to her voice. "He's not in the stables."

"Kurouma? I gave him to Sakura as a gift. Why do you…?"

"Imbecile! Why would you help that wench? Her and her little comrades could mean trouble for me…"

Renjiro's expression changed from confused to apprehensive. "Sister, what is going on?" he asked taking a step away from her.

"Oh don't tell me you haven't known brother. Now stand aside. I'm going to take care of those hindrances now." She pushed Renjiro out of the way and raised her arms in the air. Clouds gathered above the castle and out of the sky emerged a gigantic dragon. Renjiro jumped back in fear and surprise.

"It was you!" he shouted over the roar of the creature, "You set the demon on the village!"

"They were out of line! They needed convincing."

"Of what sister?"

"That I am…" she slowly turned around, her eyes now frightening red and her fangs shown through her smile, "…all powerful."

"No…" was the last thing Renjiro could mutter before a spear pierced his heart.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Once again, Sakura found herself awake strangely early. InuYasha was still sleeping upright against a tree and so was Miroku. Sango and Kagome were still fast asleep next to Sakura and Shippou had squeezed himself between Sakura and Kagome.

Sakura lay on her back for sometime, simply staring at the clouds. But just as she did during school, she soon got bored. She rose from her bed and leaving a quick note to the others telling them not to worry and that she had Kurouma with her, she made her way through the trees, Kurouma right behind her.

A couple hours had passed by the time Sakura had had enough. She turned around but suddenly realized she had no way of knowing how to get back.

"Figures…" she muttered to herself, "I forget to mark a trail back." Kurouma let out a snort and shook his head.

A couple more hours passed, and then another, and another. Sakura was certain it had to be sometime past noon.

Sakura walked through the maze of trees, thinking she had found her way out but she only came to a small clearing. She was shocked to see a small girl in an orange and white kimono cowering up against a large tree, a small dragon demon towering over her, teeth and claws bared. Sakura immediately reached to her side, pulling her chakrams from her side.

"Get away from her!" she shouted and as she did so, the circular blades became came up to a defensive position, but the demon refused to budge. "Fine, it's your funeral." Sakura threatened under her breath. She charged at him and just as he was about to close his jaws around the girl, Sakura had slit him in half. The last cry of the beast died away as the girl opened her eyes again.

Sakura sighed and replaced the blades at her side. "That takes care of him. Are you ok?" she said crouching down. The young girl jumped up and flung her arms around Sakura's neck, giggling and thanking her multiple times. "Thank you! Thank you! I thought that demon would eat me for sure! I'm Rin." She finally said, letting go and picking up the basket of berries she had obviously been collecting.

"Well Rin, I'm Sakura. Now what are you doing out here all alone?"

"Lord Sesshoumaru told me to find some food for myself, but Master Jaken was asleep so I went by myself."

Sakura froze for a moment. Sesshoumaru, huh? So this was the little girl who was always with him. At least that's what the others had told her. Sakura knew she couldn't just leave the girl alone in these woods so she stood up and motioned to Rin.

"Come on Rin. We're going to find your camp site and get you back to safety."

Rin simply smiled and walked along Sakura. "Ok Lady Sakura!"

_'Lady?'_ she thought. Sakura shrugged it off and continued walking, every once in a while, looking down and smiling at Rin. The demon horse behind her walked quietly behind them.

The sun was low on the horizon when Sakura along with Rin and Kurouma had finally found the campsite. No one was there accept for the two-headed dragon, Ah-Un, who simply looked up uninterestedly and then fell back asleep. A fire was burning brightly and since Sakura's conscience wouldn't let her leave Rin all by herself, she decided to entertain the girl until someone arrived.

The two girls sat in front of the fire and Sakura began to teach her the hand games she had played so many times while with her friends.

‡

About an hour later Sakura noticed footsteps headed their way but before she could react, a very short toad demon had appeared over the hill just feet away. He spotted Rin and turned around to shout "Lord Sesshoumaru! She's here my Lord!" but after he did he twisted back around and saw that Sakura was there. She gave him a very unfriendly look just as Sesshoumaru appeared as well. Rin stood up and ran over to the dog demon.

"Oh Lord Sesshoumaru! I was almost eaten but Lady Sakura saved me!"

Sakura stood as well but simply stood there, unafraid of the demon lord. Sesshoumaru eyed her warily and seemed to suck up his pride.

"Thank you for saving Rin. You are free to go now." But Rin didn't want Sakura to leave.

"Can't she stay for a little while longer, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"Oh Rin," Sakura said, placing a hand on the girls head, "I should probably go. Kagome and the others are probably worried about me."

"Kagome? So," Sesshoumaru said, sounding a little more interested, "You are the new girl who is traveling with my half-brother, InuYasha."

Sakura nodded and straightened back up. Rin once again begged Sakura to stay and begged Sesshoumaru to let her stay.

"It amazing you are still so powerful considering you are missing an arm. Haven't you thought of using the Tenseiga to reattach it?"

Sesshoumaru looked up slightly surprised. Why would she suggest something like that? He dismissed it and didn't respond.

Sakura shrugged. "Now don't get the idea that just because I saved Rin I wont kick you ass if I have to." Once again, Sesshoumaru was taken aback. Sakura reached down and picked up her chakrams, tying them to her side. She also pulled her hair up into a messy bun before leaving Rin with a pat on the head.

"Good bye Sesshoumaru. Maybe we'll meet again." She said as she headed off in the direction she was sure InuYasha and the gang were camping.

Strangely enough, Sesshoumaru found himself still thinking about Sakura even after she had left. Something about the human girl was extremely intriguing to him. He wanted to know more about her and he too secretly wished to meet her again.


End file.
